Some of the protesters say they are prepared to go to jail

More than 1,000 villagers in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, are threatening not to pay their council tax if the size of the site is not curtailed.

Spokesman Terry Brownbill said they wanted Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to see their problems.

Villagers aim to co-ordinate a national council tax protest to make the government listen to their concerns.

They say their problems are mirrored in at least five other areas of Britain and could arise anywhere.

Website plan

"We know of at least five others areas in Britain where they have similar problems - Billericay in Essex, Runnymede in Surrey - ironically where the Magna Carta was signed, a place in north London, Northampton, and a place in the Lake District, " Mr Brownbill said.

They plan to set up a website which other people faced with similar problems could access and then try to co-ordinate a national council tax protest.

A travellers' site has existed near Cottenham for 40 years, housing about 30 families.

Villagers say they could end up with more than 5,000 people

Villagers say over the past year scores more travellers have arrived and set up camp illegally.

Many are challenging local council planning orders telling them to leave.

They say the influx head meant growing problems of anti-social behaviour.

"What we want is for the size of travellers' camps to be limited to 10, 15, at an absolute maximum 20 sites," said Mr Brownbill.

"That is something that a lot of travellers and the Gypsy Council would agree with. We already have 38 sites. There are 18 appeals against planning refusal.

"If that succeeds, we would have 55 sites. When you bear in mind that there are four families to a site that adds up to over 1,000 people.